Washing machine



June 11, 1940.

B. A. BENSON 2,203,664

same uAcHmB Filed mm. 19, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

B. A. BENSON WASHING MACHINE Filed Nov. 19, 1937 June 11, 1940.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 Patented June l1, 1940 PATENT OFFICE WASHING MACHINEBernhart A. Benson, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Chicago ElectricManufacturing Company, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of IllinoisApplication November 19, 1937, Serial No. 175,450

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to a washing machine and more particularlyto a device of the class wherein an agitator is employed to assist inremoving dirt from articles to be washed by creating a turbulence in thewashing fluid.

It is an important object in the present invention to provide a washingmachine of extreme simplicity of construction and having a minimum ofparts which occupy a relatively small i space during use as well asduring periods of storage or inactivity.

The present invention comprehends the provision of a washing machinewhich is free from an excess multiplicity or complexity of supports,

5 driving mechanisms, motors and accessories. Many devices heretoforeproposed in the present art comprise a relatively intricate as well asheavy assembly of parts which occupy more space than can be frequentlyspared in modern [i dwellings. -Moreover, the structure oftennecessitates the use of packing glands and other mechanical elementswhich may be the cause of leakage and mechanical dimculties.

The present invention, therefore, has for an ii additional object toprovide a washing machine wherein all of the driving parts are mountedin a light, compact unit upon the cover portion and are arranged abovenormal liquid level in the washer, thus being completely protected fromii damage thereby.

, A yet further object of the present invention is to provide a washingmachine in which the driving mechanism is rigidly formed and attached tothe cover of the machine and arg ranged well above the washing zone innormal use, but which, when it is desired to store the device, may bereadily disassembled by simple separation of the parts and rearranged sothat the driving means is within the confines of the m part which, inuse, corresponds to the washing zone in order to protect the parts andoccupy a minimum of storage space.

Other objects of the present invention are to 7 ing connection is madefrom above liquid level;

and to further provide awashing machine having ,a vesselforaccommodating the articles to it be washed which is light and simplein structure and which may be readily filled and/or emptied by theoperator during the process of washing.

Numerous other objects and advantages will more fully appear during thecourse and progress of the following specification; '5

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1.is,a perspective view of a washing machine constructed inaccordance with v the present invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation taken on the 10 line 22 in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation substantially the same as Figure 2,but showing the parts as rearranged during periods of inactivity.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional elevation taken w on the line 4=i inFigure 2.

Figure 5 is a sectional plan view taken on Y the line 5-5 in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a view taken the same as Figure 5 but with the parts of thedrive mechanism in a different operative position.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the oscillating gear sector shown inFigures 5 and 6.

The device, shown for the purpose of illustrating the present invention,comprises a suitable vessel to support and enclose the articles to bewashed as well as the washing liquid and having a cylindrical upstandingwall It closed at the lower end by the bottom wall it. The upper openend of the wall H9 is turned over to my form a rounded bead id in orderto provide a gently curved seat for the cover.

Centrally of the bottom wall it there is mounted the pivot It which isrigidly secured in place by means of the nut It or by any other 5%suitable fastening means. This pivot serves to support the agitator 29for pivotal oscillatory movement within the surrounding vessel in orderto create proper turbulence to carry out the washing action. Theagitator comprises a central cylindrical column 22 bored at the bottomas at it to provide a bearing surface properly fitting the upstandingsurface of the pivot flit. The agitator is further provided with abellshaped lower standard portion 26 and a plurality of radiallyextending vanes, in the present structure three in number. It willbenoted that the agitator, as clearly shown in Figure 2, is supported inspaced relationship from the bottom wall E2 of thesurrounding-vessel bymeans of the annular flange which may be integrally formed with thepivot.

Attention is directed to the fact that the open upper end of the washingliquid containing vessel may be closed by a cover unit which contains,

1o pear.

not only the driving motor means and the trans mission means, but isalso provided-with an automatic, releasable connection for transmittingoscillatory movement to the agitator 20 5 when the cover is in operativeposition. The

cover proper, indicated by the numeral 32, is preferably slightlyconcave on its inner surface, being depressed centrally, as shown inFigures 1 to 3, for a purpose which will hereinafter ap- An annularshoulder 34 formed in the cover member 32 confers strength and rigidityand is integral with the further flat, radially extending section 36terminating in an upwardly and re- 15 versely extending shoulder orflange portion 38. It will be noted that the flange portion is so formedat the lower portions of the cover member 32, when in the operativeposition shown Figure 2, as to normally reside-below the upper 2g edgeof the bead id, thus securely centering the cover in position, while theoutwardly extending portion of the flange rests upon the top of thebead. V The cover is permitted to seat uniformly upon 5 the bead H3 andto maintain an even and eficien't seal therewith by means of the annularrim memher at which is desirably of some soft inaterial and, in thepreferred embodiment, of an elastic, resilient, substance like rubber.30 that this rim member comprises'an upper por- 1 tion 42 which extendsinwardly to enclose the top oi the flange 38 and a lower, inwardlyextending portion 66 whichiis situated between the lower portion of thefiange 38 and the adjacent sun- 35 porting bead It, as shown in Figure2. Since the rim member, as shown in Figure 2, may be anintegral,one-pieceuni't, it will be obvious that, after being slipped over theflange 38 with the portions 42 and 44 extending on either side thereof,it will remain securely in the position shown in the figures and willprovide a resilient, cushioned seal for the.cover.

, The driving and transmission unit ,46 is mounted in a relatively largecentral aperture in the 45 cover, as will be'apparent from aconsideration ofl igures 2 and 4, and comprises a, cylindrical casing 48closed adjacent the bottom by a wall 5 0,

being of increased width adjacent its upper portions to provide theannular shoulder 52 which 50 rests against the upper surface of thecover member 32 and permits securement of the driving assemblytheretothrough the agency of the bolts 5|, The" 'bolts 54 also pass through aflange formed on the lower portion of the motor housing 56 as well asthrough a partition member 58 which serves to separate the motor housingand the transmission nechanism. A pair of washers ill whicharepreferably of some resilient ma- 'terial have the function, not only ofsealing the unit from the ingress of exterior dirtand ;mois-' ture, butprovide a substantially resilient sup-' port which tends to absorb anymotor vibration.

'I'hepower delivered by the drive shaft 5210f the motor is firsttransmitted through a suitable as speed reduction gear train, shown indetail in.

Figures 4 to 6, and comprising a pinion l4, driving.

the gear 66 mounted upon the pivot which is rigidly secured to thesupporting partition 58.

. The gear 10 integral with the gear 66 in turn 70 drives the gear I2which is mounted upon a similar pivot 14 and integral with the gear fliThe gear 1!, operating'at a reduced rotational speed meshes th thegearj'lli" I It wil be apparent, after viewing Figures4 to 75.. 6. thatthe gear I8 is supported upon a pivot 80 It will be. noted rigidlymountedrin the supporting partition 82' which in turn is secured bythree machine screws 84 to'suitable embossments 86 circumferentiallyspaced about the interior of the casing 48. It 'will be noted that thesupporting partition 82 is suitably apertured to permit the gear 16 toextend therethrough. The gear 16 thus rotationally mounted upon thepivot- 80 is provided with an embossment 88 spaced radially from thecenter of rotation to which is secured the link or connecting rod 90 bymeans of the pivot 92 threadedlymountedtherein. The connecting rod 90,at its other end, is pivotally secured to the sector gear 94, shown indetail in Figures 4 to 'l inclusive. The sector gear is slotted andprovided, with an insert 96 secured removably in place bythe machinescrew 98, which insert extends radially outwardly beyond the outersurface formed by the teeth of the gear in order to support the bushingIt in which is secured the threaded pivot I02 which engages the end ofthe connecting rod 90. The sector gear 9,4 is in turn mounted the bottomwall 50 of the enclosing casing by means of a nut it, as shown in Figure4. 5

According to the present embodiment, the gears and links are so formedand arranged that rotational movement of the gear 18 transmitsoscillatory' movement to the sector gear 94 through a; predetermined arcof rotation. The oscillatory rotation is directly transmitted to theshaft through a gear it which is rigidly pinned to the drive shaft H0whereby this drive shaft is caused to continuously reverse its movementafter a predetermined arc of rotation. It will be noted that the gear orpinion I08 is arcuately relieved as at H2 in order to permit passage ofthe radially outwardly extending insert 96 during its normal path ofmovement.

The drive shaft H0 is mounted in the downwardly projecting embossmentintegrally formed with the bottom wall of the.casing H4 and providing astufling box or packing seal therefor. The packing gland H6 surroundingthe shaft III] is threaded therein and comprises a suitable mass ofpacking material so that .any liquid caused to splash about thejend ofthe drive shaft 0 will be prevented from entering the driving mechanism.J

Accordingto the present invention a simple, readily releasableconnection is provided between the upper end of the agitator and thedrive shaft.

To this end the lower end of the drive shaft H6 is provided with apolygonal bushing H8 rigidly pinned thereto while the upper end of thecylindrical column 22 of the agitator is bored as at I20 to provide amating polygonal configuration into which the bushing 8 willautomatically engage when the cover is applied in operative positiontothe device. -It will be readily apparent 80 I that the bushing andmating aperture may be hexagonal, as shown in the figures, or maypossess 'any other suitable configuration to provide a ro- I'tationalzdriving connection therebetween. j

.11; will be obvious from the abovedisclosure that the present devicecomprises three freely 'separable units, namely, the cover, the agitatorthe bushing in will reside in the aperture no in the upper end of theagitator in driving engagement. The electrical conduit I22 whichsupplies electricity for operating the driving motor is next connectedto a suitable source of electric current at which time the'motor shaft62 commences to rotate, driving the gear 16 through the speed reducinggear train. Rotation of the gear 18 in turn causes transmission ofreciprocatory movement to the gear sector Mthrough the agency of thedriving link or connecting rod 90. The oscillatory movement so producedis transmitted through the agency of the gear I08 and the drive shaft Hto the agitator which thus is caused to rotate through a predeterminedare about the pivot l6 and then to continuously reverse its direction ofmovement after completing this path of travel. It is by this means thatagitation of the washing liquid within the vessel is maintained in orderto loosen the dirt from the articles to be washed.

Referring more specifically to Figure 3, it will be apparent that themachine constructed in accordance with the present invention may be,dur-- ing periods of disuse, stored with the normally projectingportions of the cover within the cylindrical walls In of the washingvessel. Thus, if the agitator is lifted from its pivot and permittedtoreside upon its side, as shown in Figure 3, the cover may be reversedand rested upon be noted that what is normally the upper surface d2 ofthe rim member 40 coacts with the annular bead M to provide a ion.

The present invention provides a simple and compact washing machinewhich may be readily lifted or conveyed by the operator and may bestored in a minimum of space. The present structure, in permitting theomission of relatively heavy structural parts, moreover, admits of readyemptying or filling with washing or rinsing fluid and greatlyfacilitates cleaning thereof after the washing operation is completed.

Opposed handle members ltd may be formed on the outer cylindrical Wallill of the vessel in order to permit carrying and emptying thereof whilea pair of similar handles I26 are preferably attached to the cover topermit its removal 0 situation in operative position.

Attention is further directed to the fact that with all of the drivingparts mounted as a unit resilient seat or cushmechanism are necessarilylimited to this unit with the result that the remaining portions of,

the structure need not be disturbed. This structure, furthermore, doesaway with the necessity for. apertures below normal fluid level throughWith the cover in this position it will' upon the cover, any repairs oradjustments of the being a preferred embodiment for the purpose ofillustrating the invention.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. In a washing machine, a container, an agitator in said container, acover for said container, 5 said cover being symmetrical about acentral, vertical axis and having a central, convex-concave portion withthe convex side facing upwardly, a motor, an agitator drive shaft, atransmission mechanism between said motor and said drive shaft, areleasable coupling between said drive shaft and said agitator, ahousing for said transmission mechanism from which housing said agitatordrive shaft depends, the convex-concave portion of the cover having acentrally disposed lit aperture therein, said housing being mounted insaid aperture and secured to said cover, said motor beingmounted on saidhousing on an axis of symmetry of the cover and extending above saidcover, and a hood enclosing saidgnotor and 0 secured to said housing.

2. In a washing machine, a cylindrical pot, an agitator on the axis of.the pot, a disk-shaped cover, said cover having a centrally disposedconvex-concave portion with'the convex side facing upwardly, saidportion having an aperture therethrough centrally thereof, a housingextending through said aperture and having a peripheral flange overlyingthe edge of the aperture in. the cover, a motor mounted on said housingon the coincident axis of the cover and pot with its shaft extendinginto the housing,an agitator drive shaft depending from said housing, areleasable coupling between said shaft and said agitator, transmissionmechanism in said housing and connecting the motor to the agitator driveshaft, and a hood for the motor, said hood being mounted on the housing,and common means for securing the hood and housing to the cover.

3. In a washing machine, a container, an agitator, a coversymmetricalabout a central, vertical axis, said cover having a centrally disposedconvex-concave portion with the convex side facing outwardly, saidportion of thecover having an aperture extending therethrough centrally1 thereof, an upwardly opening cup-shaped housing member extendingthrough said aperture and having a peripheral flange overlying the edgeof the aperture in the cover, a plate carried by said flange and closingsaid cup-shaped housing memm ber, a motor mounted on said plate on thevertical axis of symmetry of the cover with the shaft extending throughthe plate into the housing member, an agitator drive shaft dependingfrom said housing member, a releasable coupling between said shaft andsaid agitator, a gear train in said housing member connecting the motorshaft to the agitator drive shaft, a hood for the motor mounted on theedge of said plate overlying the peripheral ilange of the housingmember, common fastening elements passing through the cover, theperipheral flange of the housing member and the hood, securing the hood,housing member and plate to the cover, and sealing members interposedbetween the peripheral flange of the housing member and the plate andbetween the plate and the hood.

4. A washing machine comprising a container symmetrical about a central,vertical axis, anag i- 7o tator operable about said axis, a coversymmetrical about a central, vertical axis co-incident with the axis ofsymmetry of the container, said cover having an aperture therethroughcentrally thereof, a separate-casing let into said aperture 4 t r andrigidly secured to said cover, a'motor mounted on said casing on avertical axis co-incident with the axes of symmetry of the coverandcontainer, an agitatordrive shaft depending from said casing member, a.releasable coupling be tween said drive shaft and said agitator,transmember.

mission mechanism in said" casing member and connecting the motor to theagitator drive shaft,

and a hood for the motor symmetrical about the axis 'of the motor andsecured to said casing BERNH-ART A. BENSON.

